RE: 8mm tape media -- MIDRANGE-L

Good advice on using a different tape brand for the second backup.  At
the absolute minimum, if for some reason you don't have a different
brand on hand, you should make sure the tape is from a different lot
number.

Three damaged tapes !  I'd be interested in knowing what 8mm drive they
were using (an ancient 7208-002 perhaps?).
Would also be interested to know what brand of tape they were using.

Admittedly 8mm data storage has a bad name, mainly due to the quality of
the older technology like 7208-002, and even the -012).  I suppose the
new 'mammoth' drives in the 7208-342, even though they are several
generations beyond the 7208-002, will have to prove themselves.

Another area where 8mm is more susceptible to problems is
interchangeability with other drives.  It's a problem common to drives
that use helical scanning (tracks written by heads mounted on a spinning
head drum) if they are out of alignment, and you may have noticed it on
your own VCR.  Older tapes, or those from some other VCR's, used to be
real bad for a problem known as 'flagging', where the top portion of the
picture would be 'bent'.  Usually much more noticeable on tapes recorded
at the slower EP speed - which is why all pre-recorded tapes/movies etc.
(except those from rip-off artists) are recorded at the faster SP speed.
Again, newer drives with more stable tape paths and automatic tracking
have pretty much eliminated this problem.



Neil Palmer                                AS/400~~~~~      
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Glanstein [SMTP:mic@aloha.com]
> Sent: Saturday, March 28, 1998 10:02 PM
> To:   mr
> Subject:      8mm tape media
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Gentlemen:
> 
> After a large business had to cancel their gig-meg last week due to a
> broken 8mm tape, I have to agree.  Bye-bye to 8mm.
> 
> Real fun week-end: three chewed up tapes, one disk crash, one
> interface
> check....but the client was up and running by Sunday PM...
> 
> By the way----if you backup for the purpose of moving drives and
> restoring....get 2 backups (we did) BUT use a DIFFERENT TAPE
> MANUFACTURER!
> 
> Sign me--still getting older and wiser!
> 
> steve glanstein
> mic@aloha.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ** Reply to note from "Al Barsa, Jr." <barsa2@ibm.net> Fri, 27 Mar
> 1998
> 21:03:37 -0500
> 
> 
> > I hate to disagree with Neil, however one of my specialties is
> repairing 
> > damaged tapes.  95% of this business comes from 8mm tapes. 
> >  
> > I think that 8mm is great.  It built my house. 
> >  
> > In my opinion, 8mm tape is as safe as a $20 hooker, but clearly
> nowhere 
> > nearly as fast. 
> >  
> 
> But Al! Certainly you are only experienced in dealing with one of the
> above?! 
> 
> Colorful, Al, colorful.
> 
> > Al 
> >  
> > Al Barsa, Jr. - Account for Midrange-L 
> > Barsa Consulting, LLC.       
> > 400 > 390 
> >  
> > Phone:      914-251-9400 
> > Fax:        914-251-9406
> 
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